United States President Joe Biden allegedly lost his temper during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in June when the European leader asked for more military aid.
The moment reportedly came shortly before the American president was able to finish telling Zelensky that he had already approved another $1 billion in military assistance for Ukraine. The European leader interjected and quickly listed all the additional help that his country needed to fight off Russia's aggression.
Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky Tensions
Despite phone calls between Biden and Zelensky becoming routine after the US approves a new set of aid, one conversation they had in June played out differently than the rest. According to four people familiar with the call, Biden lost his temper when Zelensky rushed in to request additional assistance.
The Democrat reportedly said that the American people were already being quite generous to Ukraine, noting that his administration and the US military were working hard to assist the European nation. Biden allegedly raised his voice at his Ukrainian counterpart, arguing that the letter could show a little more gratitude, as per NBC News.
Biden administration officials said that the US president and the Ukrainian president's relationship has only improved since the tense June phone call. Zelensky allegedly made a statement where he praised the American government for its generous assistance to Ukraine.
Despite the ultimate reconciliation of the two world leaders, the clash reflects Biden's early awareness that both congressional and public support for sending billions of dollars to Ukraine could begin to fade.
According to the New York Post, a separate source disputed that the call between Biden and Zelensky was heated or angry. They claimed that the US president recommended his Ukrainian counterpart direct his concerns through the appropriate military channel.
Ukraine Aid
Prior to the June 15 call, the US president's frustrations allegedly were on the rise for weeks, confiding to his aides that he believed his administration was pulling out all the stops to assist Ukraine. However, Zelensky reportedly turned the focus on what was not being done to help his nation.
The report also noted that several Eastern European governments and American politicians were concerned with the efforts of the White House to approve the weapons request. This came to a point of dawdling over some of Ukraine's pleas before giving in weeks or months later as pressure mounted.
The Ukrainian president's advisers worked to resolve any lingering tensions between the two world leaders after their June call. The officials ultimately decided that it was not beneficial to be at odds with Biden amid the war with Russia.
In recent weeks, resistance to US assistance to Ukraine has increased with Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy declaring that there will be "no blank check" should his party take control of Congress in the midterms.
Meanwhile, the Democrats' Congressional Progressive Caucus also urged the White House to negotiate directly with Russia, before later withdrawing their request. Biden was reportedly discussing asking Congress for roughly $50 billion in additional funding after the November midterms, the Independent reported.